This is a staple recipe in our house, so this wasn't new this weekend, but always a delicious stand-by when I make a pot of sauce. It's all the goodness of lasagna w/o all the fuss. Served with a salad and garlic bread, there is plenty for my family of 6 w/ leftovers for lunch.

I loved this recipe - Sammy thought it was too hot, so I toned it down with some honey. But everyone else had seconds - it was THAT good. PS I used Diet Dr Pepper, it was all I had, and I dont know what the difference would have been, but it was super yummy my way.

Ok I have a spicy theme going, but the chipoltle's purchased for the pork made a second appearance in this salad - just enough flavor, mixed with the vinegar, basil, and smokeyness of the cheese - super yum! (note: too much cheese/smoke for the older kids, but me, Dan & Sam loved it)

I made this the night before - I dont recommend it - I needed to make more "sauce" to wet pasta down the next day. A few hours early would have been a better idea.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Today is the last few pages of the book. This has been a 3-day journey, so if you are joining me today, make sure you scroll down further to see how this started and learn some tips on the way.

(the full album will be posted on flickr, as soon as I figure out how to do that and create link :))

Lets start today's post with a tab insert. again I used kit papers and scraps, thin washi and paper cuts, and the "awesome" cut file is just a script text welded together is Design Studio. The gem cut was created by Loni Harris and is sold in the Silhouette Design Store (here). Sammy's gym focuses around gems, so I should get lots of use from this file.

This divider uses Bebas font for the FCA. and the "love" is from a set of cut files by Tanya Batrak sold in the Design Store here. This gem was apart of a pack of die cuts I found in Michaels. I love how gems are popular right now!!!

This leads me into our Atlanta Trip. This time we did some sight seeing to Olympic Park, World of Coca-cola, & the Georgia Aquarium. Adding full layouts in different colors was a nce break to the overall schematic of the book, but like the multiple sizes and changes in pocket styles, I like how it turned out and yet still all fit together.

In addition to the tickets I included the Marta subway card, the luggage claim ticket and the "caution when lifting" tag from our luggage as well. (i thought it had a cute double-meaning). You can see the QR code again for the team's routine. and the "love this ife" is another cut file from the Silhouette store. It is made by Lori Whitlock and sold here

The ampersand is a Just Jaimee cut file, and just another shot of extending one pic into multiple squares can really break up the busy-ness of s many pockets.

This is actually a front and back lay-out - The front photo of the city from olymoic Park & sammy at the sign, the items come from a sticker sheet from Simple Stories (I used other letters from the sheet through-out the book). and the Georgia Aquarium, are all products from my stash - older than Sammy probably.

Below the "Incredible" is from Wilna Furstenburg's Art + Design class, remaining elements are from that pack of die cuts from Michael's combined with Theresa Collins "Hello my name is" kit.

The Awesome tag is made from a Just Jaimee storyteller cut file backed with some polka-dotted paper. I was saving that for a Disney post, but unfortunately we did not make it to the Summit this year.

This is one of my favorite pages - again, girls love their photo shoots. It was actually outside after a comp, the filmstrip is a cut file that I just sized photos underneath. It's a Simple Stories filmstrip cut, that I added one more photo to by cropping & welding in design studio. The file is sold here:

The rest of the kit papers and cards are from a Gossamer Blue kit and I apologize I do not know what papers.

Just using up some of the same cuts I made in multiple colors on the back of the previous layout. I didnt want to jump colors and different comps - so I just decorated a typed paper with some Tm Holtz distress inks and cut letters. The Awesome is also from Wilna Furstenburg's Art + Design class. Besides these great freebie files, I learned so much in her classes - kinda a side note, but she is an amazing teacher.

This last tag used a die cut from Michael's - why not turn that point into a number one? (i am so genius!) the heart arrow cut is from Lori Whitlock, Camera and arrow set (here)

And the last divider was just created with alphas and a stroke or outline. The only photo I left in there is the cute one from twitter the girls took for breast cancer at practice.

I left plenty of empty pockets for my daughter to print selfies with friends, etc... She is not shy to the printer or the journal cards. My job was to capture the year, and this way she can add her own memories as well.

I love this book. The girls love this book, but mostly Sammy looks through it over and over again.

I am making books again this year (I say books b/c Sammy is on two teams this season)

Things I have learned and will do this year:

1. Create or find a kit I will use for the entire year.
2. Do another Bulk cutting day, so I have all cut files ready as I need them.
3. Change books, I chose the Simple Stories Sn@p! albums for this year. The sizes are more uniform to typical pocket card sizes, and I have an Orange book for new gem, and Black for Onyx.

I hope I shared a few good ideas for you, so many of us live through a season of sports traveling, etc... Pocket pages are great for capturing all of the memories.

**I am not affiliated in any way with any of the designers, I found cuts that I liked that represented cheering and the kits that matched the colors I needed.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Continuing from yesterday - I have a few more pages to share. I will admit having a kit and doing the bulk cutting was key to getting this done. I filled up a 12x12 page with a bunch of cuts I liked, and cut them in both red and black (some is tan and white as well). I did not use them all in this book, and I have a bunch left over that I can use this year - so I feel like I am already ahead of the game :).

The 6 squares pages are actually (6) 3-1/8" x 3" (again wonky sizes. The way I survived these pages was creating a template in Photoshop where I clipped my pictures to squares/rectangles I created in the sizes that matched these pockets. so I would fill them up and they looked normal. I did a lot of combining squares to make one large photo, I just like how it looks. (personal preference and it allowed me to capture the entire team). The cut file on the left is a Karla Dudley word stacked cut, from The Silhouette Store (here). The FCA#1 I just created via the Silhouette software.

(I covered up the faces that are not my child, and are close enough to make them out - the fuzzier group photos I felt were ok).

The Amazing divider is all pieces from the Theresa Collins"Hello My name is" collection, rub-ons, the bingo card, brads, etc... the heart cut file is from Just Jaimee storyteller collection (2014), and the word "amazing" is a Wilna Furstenburg design freebie from her Art Class 2.

The full page LO is just a again a combo of kit papers, elements and paint splatters. The Win ticket was created in design studio with a ticket cut and "bebas" font.

Below left is how simple some of the cards were - just using the papers from the kit and a few brads. (yes that is a long day at comp for both Sam & dad). The card on the right uses a little more product, a cut file from Just Jaime (and the 2 hearts from the cut file above) Add some journaling, and page is done. I love pocket pages for this album. It makes assembling so easy (if the pockets were a normal size I would be in heaven, sigh...).

"Live your story" I created in Design studio, and the on the right is a square right out of the kit papers. (There were days where the creativity just wasn't happening - thank goodness for a good kit).

I added this page because I wanted to remind ya how great it is to just use a social media clip..

And a tip on the photos. At first I thought this book had to be all about Sammy. But in reality it is a memory book for her about her team. I am so glad I had taken all the other team shots, so I could incorporate everyone in the book.

Below is a Fantastic that I cut from black paper earlier in the bulk cutting day, and then I embossed it with gold powder I had from forever from Stamp It up. I mean like 10 years or more. It was one of the first scrapping supplies I ever bought. The floral cut file is from Wilna Furstenburg. So delicate and pretty, it broke up the gold from the bold stripes. Add a few sequins, and done.

Another hint, there were many dividers and cards I wanted to toss out - but there a little patience and creativity can save them. This was one of them, and in the end I loved how it turned out.

Sorry the team is "vellumed" out, but this is just a page added in - random size, team photo from one of the comps. The page is less than 6.5" x 9", and I hole punched and added it in the book. I love the randomness of the sizes of the pages scattered in the book.

Above is another 6-pack of photos, and a close up of the square. Not that it is anything amazing, but just layers of scraps, ticket die cuts, staples, washi, whatever I had to create a square to break up the busy photos and keep with the color theme of the book. below left is a again a quick tag created from cut files and the kit,

I am going to close today with a few pages from an away comp in Atlantic City, NJ. The travel comps I added more pages to include the rest of the trip and things we did, places we ate, etc....

The number file I cant locate where it came from - I think it is from The-lilypad's Memory Pocket Monthly kits. but I am not positive. I deleted it from my Silhouette library, so I can not locate it.

I love the tweet with the location map. for the away trip. I always try to add maps where I can to my pockets. And black and white is also a great tip to ease up the busy-ness of the pages. I actually put two 3x4 photos for this 4x6 pocket - no rules - so why not?

The next pockets included a photo of the tickets for the weekend, and a layered tag. and below is a pocket card from the kit with a QR code of the routine I found someone posted on you tube. I love QR codes, what a great way to add motion to a scrapbook!

I know most of the next page (above right) is covered faces, but I just wanted t stress the importance of team photos and fun antics/photo shoots in between routines. There is so much down time, but it seems these girls are always up for photo ops!
Below is a 2-page spread of the downtime of the comp. I got to mix in some more pocket sizes, and still throw in some traditional lay-out looks. All cards and papers and elements came from the kit collection, minus the letters - they are simple stories.

Last page for today is a team pic and the kit is from a Gossamer blue kit - I think the chipboard is from the "I am" collection. Some more ink splatters, and the perfect ending of a weekend trip. Tomorrow I will share the last few comps and a few more pages.

**I am not affiliated in any way with any of the designers, I found cuts that I liked that represented cheering and the kits that matched the colors I needed.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

I haven't been blogging because I have been busy catching up -
catching up o Sammy's cheer book & PL. Too much traveling and working - not enough creating. So when I had some spare time - this is what came of it.... It has actually been a work over time. It is her entire cheer season, so I have extended this into a 3 posts.

The inspiration actually came from Wilna Furstenburg's December Daily, and the dividers she used.

I had an old Bo-Bunny mini-binder. 6-1/2 x 9-1/2 maybe? and I purchased different pocket pages for it. I mixed and matched pages throughout the book, separating each competition with a decorated divider tab. Pages included photos, pocket cards, ephemera & some QR codes of the girls cheer routines.

I spent a day bulk-cutting cuts on my silhouette. I am going to try to list the cuts with the pages (bear with me). Because Sam's team was red, most of the items were built using Theresa Collins "Hello My Name is" collection. I found it at Michaels, and by the end of the season I found more in the clearance section. Score!

I decorated the book with vinyl, stickets and washi tape. The stickers I have had forever, and I dont know where they came from. They are a collegiate font silver and black letters in the pack.

The first page is photo from their individual pics, and some TC Hello my name is butterflies. This is not in a protector - but actually a 6.5" x 9" page I added and glued on the tab and added the year to it. On the back is a note to Sammy from me about the year. The gold letters are from a Gossamer blue kit - but I believe they are Amy Tangerine.

The next page may look familiar, it is the page I created for homework in Wilna's Color Theory Studio Calico Class. You can see that post here.

Now is where the fun started. Each comp I tried to use a different series of pocket pages.

The first one I did a full page L/O, using the papers from the kit & some washi tape and stitching.

The second page had 3 pockets - (2) 3-1/4 x 5-1/4 and (1) 4-1/4 x 6-1/4. (I wasn't a fan of the extra 1/4 - made things hard to use traditional supplies w/o backing them on card stock.) More stitching and washi and just layering pieces of scraps from the kit. Most cards were made in a weekend well before the season started.

Below is a close up of the dividers. Each were at least 9-1/2" by 3-1/2" and decorated with Silhouette cuts, snips from the kit, washi, string, paint splatters, gems or enamel dots. whatever I felt like. Everyone has a mini poloroid from the kit, where I wrote on the name of comp, and how we did.

Some more cards, photos of the girls, stitching and washi. Our these of the routine was super hero's and we started off the routine with the superman theme song. The cut came from the Silhouette Store (here)

I was real good at keeping up with the book for the first 2 comps. Then my frustration came from my pictures not being perfect. Low lighting, high action, I didnt always get the "perfect" shot. Once I got over the fact tat the girls will not care - they just want to see themselves, I was able to bust out the rest of the pages pretty quickly. And in the end I was right. as the girls went through the book, no one complained about the photo quality - huh.

i am going to close today's post with 2 more divider shots. You can see how each was totally different from a previous one, but always tied together by color, theme and the poloroid date info.